California readers may have heard about a woman working at a beer brewing company in another state who was badly burned in a recent workplace accident. The woman had earned several awards as a beer brewer and was working as the head brewer at Edge Brewing Co. It remains to be seen if she will file an injured worker claim as a result of the incident.
The accident occurred in mid-July when the woman was working on a batch of a popular ale beer at the company’s brewery and restaurant location. As the 36-year-old woman was tending to a brew kettle, the liquid in the kettle boiled over. The molten liquid sprayed the woman on her right side. She was forced to spend almost a month in a burn unit at a local hospital while undergoing several skin graft operations.
The worker was finally allowed to return home in mid-August. It is expected that it may take more than a year for her to fully recover. Until then, she is required to limit her exposure to sunlight and has to constantly dress in long-sleeve shirts and pants. Reportedly, she is taking numerous prescription painkillers.
Unfortunately, these types of situations happen frequently at workplaces in many California industries. Although an injured worker has a right to receive benefits via an injured worker claim, issues may exist as to the amount of benefits he or she should receive. An employer defense strategy may be helpful in this regard and in addressing any potential increases in workers compensation insurance premiums, as well as in responding to any safety investigations by state or federal agencies.
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